One mother = A Powerful Grassroots Movement: The Protest Easy Guns phenomenon

I love Little-Engines-That-Could success stories. It's inspiring to see what one committed person can get started! And here's proof: The Protest Easy Guns grassroots movement launched by my friend and neighbor Dr. Abby Spangler in Old Town Alexandria, VA, is mobilizing moms, dads, and other concerned citizens across the country.

The first demonstration by the "Alexandria 32," (of which I was one!) was held the weekend following the tragedy at Virginia Tech University. Days after the massacre, Abby found herself getting angrier and angrier about the many loopholes in gun laws that played a significant role in the killings. And she wasn't alone. She started talking to other moms - her neighbors, her children's preschool directors and parents - and found others had the same despair. We were all angry, saddened, and feeling helpless about the seemingly stagnant issue of gun accesss loopholes.

But Abby went one step behond venting and commiserating. She started networking, called the DC-area press, and organized a simple but powerful demonstration in our city square. Thirty-two moms from all backgrounds and political persuasions, myself included, wore black, lay down silently on the sidewalk for the short period of time it took the Virginia Tech killer to buy his weapons, and then went about our day feeling as if we had at least helped to spark meaningful conversation and debate amongst our neighbors.

Our little gathering made the local news...and then the national news. My husband, Noah, worked with Abby to host and develop a simple but effective website, and Abby put together a "protest in a box." Before you knew it, Abby had NYC Mayor Michael Bloomnburg joining her and 32+ New Yorkers in Times Square to stage their own protest. Additional protests have been held throughout Northern Virginia and in Maryland, Philadelphia, Brooklyn... Within the next week there are additional Protest Easy Guns "lie-ins" scheduled by local residents in Chicago, Dallas, and the Bronx.

If you would like to talk with Abby about covering this grassroots movement as a member of the press/blogosphere, or better yet - if you'd like to find out how to organize a Protest Easy Guns action in your community, click here.